Thiruvananthapuram: In a bold and much-needed administrative intervention, the Kerala Health Department has issued a stern warning to all doctors under government service: improve the legibility of handwritten medical documents or face disciplinary action. This move follows growing concern from the Kerala State Human Rights Commission over widespread complaints that doctors’ reports especially in police and prison-related cases are often illegible, unscientific, and incomplete, thereby obstructing justice and compromising patient safety.
The department’s directive, prompted by inspections at the Peermade sub-jail and the Nedumkandam police station in Idukki, identified shocking lapses in how medical records were being prepared. Reports related to injured remand prisoners or those requiring treatment while in custody were found to be barely readable, lacking crucial medical observations, and sometimes completely uninterpretable by law enforcement officers and judicial authorities. The Human Rights Commission concluded that such negligence not only fails institutional protocol but also potentially violates the rights of those under legal custody.
Responding to these serious observations, the Health Department has made it mandatory for all medical practitioners in government service to ensure that medical records ranging from injury reports to medico-legal certificates are written clearly and precisely. Doctors must use handwriting that is legible to non-medical personnel, including police officers, court officials, pharmacists, and even patients. The Health Department reminded medical officers that their notes form part of the legal record and play a critical role in decisions involving arrest, detention, medical treatment, and sometimes even criminal conviction or acquittal.
This isn’t the first time such concerns have been raised. As early as 2014, the Travancore-Cochin Medical Council had issued guidelines urging better clarity in medical documentation. More recently, in 2021, a social media campaign PublicAsksPharmacistsRemindDoctors had gained momentum after reports emerged of patients receiving incorrect medications due to illegible prescriptions. In one viral case, a pharmacist in Kochi accidentally dispensed a sedative instead of an antibiotic because the doctor's handwriting was misread. Despite these warnings and public outcry, many doctors reportedly continue to write in rushed, indecipherable script.
The department emphasized that the new directive is not a mere advisory but a disciplinary warning. Physicians failing to comply will face official proceedings, including reprimands and potential suspension under the Kerala Government Servants’ Conduct Rules. The circular also urges hospital superintendents and district medical officers to conduct regular audits of submitted medical reports and to train junior doctors on how to maintain proper documentation practices.
Legal experts and healthcare professionals have largely welcomed the move. According to consumer rights activists, poor medical documentation has been a chronic issue in India’s public healthcare sector, often leading to legal disputes and claims of medical negligence. A 2023 ruling by the Ernakulam Consumer Court had also declared that any illegible prescription or medical report that leads to patient harm may be considered prima facie evidence of negligence.
As the healthcare system increasingly adopts digital platforms, many experts are also urging the government to expedite the implementation of electronic medical record (EMR) systems in all government hospitals. While EMRs are becoming the norm in private hospitals, the public sector has lagged behind, especially in rural areas.
Nevertheless, the immediate focus is clear: handwritten medical records must now adhere to professional standards of clarity, completeness, and factual accuracy. For the thousands of doctors serving in Kerala’s government hospitals and health centers, this is a firm reminder that clear communication is not just a medical virtue it is a legal and ethical necessity.